Final Reflective Report

Before attending the Effective Communication classes, I have always find it difficult to present myself in front of a group of audiences, for instances, my choice of words, body language and stage presence.

Through this module, it provides a learning platform for students to improve on their presentation skills as well as contributing and receiving constructive feedback so as to better our oral and writing skills. The peers and instructor feedback allows the student to participate actively while gaining knowledge through the discussions. The peer appraisal will highlight the strength and weakness of your presentation skills. Thus, providing a very holistic overview of your performance, for us to learn from one another.

Throughout the module, we were tasked to write a reader response, proposal and technical report. The multiple writing assignments aims to polish on our writing skills where Ms Lim and peers will give constructive feedbacks for us to reflect and to improve on.  Furthermore, the peers feedbacks provide a more variety of opinions for me to take into consideration.

Apart from writing practices, the oral presentation practices allow me to hone my presentation which helps me to perform better on my actual presentation. I am now capable to identify the scenario and choose my tone of speech specifically catered to the audience group. 

Through all this experiences, I am now able to effectively construct my thoughts into sentences which aids my communication skills. Additionally, through the peer and instructor feedback, I have learned to contribute critical and constructive feedback to my peers. This allow me to accurately identify our mistakes and improve from our weaknesses. I am grateful to had underwent this module for it has prepare me with the innate ability to effectively communicate in my future work life.

Presentation Reflection

Prior to the final presentation, our team were given the opportunity to present our proposal to the peer evaluator, each presenter was given five minutes for their pitch. After the presentation, I have received feedbacks from evaluator mentioning that I spoke too quickly and require more preparation in my presentation. Thus, weeks before our final presentation, I gathered with my team and rehearsed multiple time so as to ensure a smooth transition between our slides and better familiarize what we were to present.

On the day of the presentation, I controlled the pace of my speech while inserting deliberate pauses. I vary my tone of voice throughout the presentation and ensured that my eye contact with the audiences are assuring and less intimidating.  During the presentation, I tried to maintain eye contact with my audience instead of constantly turning back to refer to the screen. However, the uncertainty of the information still forces me to refer back to the slides. Atlas, the Question and Answer segment ended off with my team and I standing before a series of questions. I felt more confident while answering the questions posed by the audience as I was more familiarize with the data presented. Although I took some time to process the questions, I managed to smoothly answered the various question posed.

To sum it off, I believe that there was a tremendous improvement as compared to the presentation done with the peer evaluator, however, there are still room for improvement. The feedbacks received enable us to be less subjective and focus on what needs to be improve, I felt that this experience had definitely provide us with the platform to practice and hone both our communication and presentation skills.

Reader Response (FINAL)

The article “Sustainability Efforts_ Gardens by The Bay. (n.d.)” suggested how environmental sustainability is one of the primary driving factor behind the architecture of this nature park.

With Garden Lake system (Dragon Lake and Kingfisher Lake) naturally filtrating water for the Gardens catchment by incorporating essential ecological processes and functions, it provides aquatic habitats for biodiversity. Aquatic plants and reed beds helps reduces nitrogen levels and phosphorus which is critical in ensuring better water quality. The different plants, good water circulation and aeration tackles potential problem - mosquito breeding. The conservatories are like energy efficient cooling system which applies sustainable engineering technology. A customized glass fitted on the conservatories allows sufficient sunlight for plants yet reduces a considerable amount of heat. Through thermal stratification, hot air is then emitted at high level. By dehumidifying the air using liquid desiccant before cooling, the amount of energy required in the cooling process is lessened. With Combined Heat Power steam turbine, the reliance on the electrical grid reduces. Electricity to run the chillers in the Conservatories are generated on site while waste heat is utilized to reconstruct the liquid desiccant. Supertrees contributes to environment sustainability efforts by having photovoltaic cells on their canopies to harvest solar energy and some serve as air exhaust repository.

While the author was accurate on how the park was introduced as a product meant for environmental betterment, he has however overlooked the numerous and extensive amount of resources pumped in to creating this eco-garden. Additionally, construction process may have contributed to air pollution, putting us in a dilemmatic situation of having to move backwards in order to move forth.

With the enumerated advantages, it was clear the author was emphasizing on what the park can offer but little on how the process had consumed vast amount of energy that seem to be rather contradicting to the idea behind the need for such infrastructure. Its main website- ‘Gardensbythebay.com (n.d.)’ suggested how the park first started its construction from November 2007 till October 2011 clearly showing the prolonged consumption of resources.  “Technology cannot truly be deemed as being sustainable in the long term when it is used to extract efficiencies from fossil fuels” (Patti Dinneen 2014). Additionally, the parks occasionally host events that requires the occupying of facilities, further disrupting the resources that were painstakingly built with respect to environment betterment.

The author also mentioned that how conservatories incorporates technologies that requires sustainable engineering which logically requires much intelligence and resources like energy and electricity to maintain its functionality in the long run. Moreover, specific sites and conditions are required in order to sustain these technologies, further expending scarce resources.  Approach like such may be useful but in exchange for a hefty amount of resources that requires manpower, electricity and energy.

He was also unable to notice the fact that environmental sustainability concerns more than just the mere maintenance or improvement of environmental issues and defects through infrastructures like such. It involves the intangible that requires much more consistency. Philip Sutton (2004) implied how the term was defined by the ability to maintain valuable physical resources around us, particularly features that will directly affect our quality of life. To achieve environmental ideals like sustainability, it is more than just mere reliance on man-made structure but also the behaviors and mind-sets of locals. While the facts and scientific justifications provided by the author were informative, the article was lacking the persuasive factor – the strong why to why sustainability is equally as important as its methods and approach to executing it. The article can improve by providing a more holistic viewpoint that encompass of both pros and cons.

Works Cited

Changi Airport group. (n.d.). Corporate Social Responsibility - Sustainability. Retrieved from Changi Airport Group: http://www.changiairport.com/corporate/csr/sustainability.html

Dinneen, P. (2014, December 29). Pros & Cons: Combined Heat and Power (CHP). Retrieved from CT Energy Solutions Blog: http://www.kinsley-group.com/blog?article=25

Garden By the Bay. (2016). About the gardens. Retrieved from Garden By the Bay: http://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/the-gardens/aboutus/sustainability.html

Sutton, P. (2004, April 12). A-Perspective-on-Environmental-Sustainability. Retrieved from Green innovation: http://www.green-innovations.asn.au/A-Perspective-on-Environmental-Sustainability.pdf

Reader's Response (First Draft)

With reference to the article “Sustainability Efforts_ Gardens by The Bay” , environmental sustainability is one of the principles behind the planning and design of Gardens by The Bay.

The Garden Lake system (Dragon lake and Kingfisher lake) naturally filtrate water for the Gardens catchment by incorporating essential ecological processes and functions which helps provide aquatic habitats for biodiversity. The aquatic plants and reed beds reduces nitrogen levels and phosphorus which is critical in ensuring better water quality. The different aquatic plants, good water circulation and aeration tackles potential problem - mosquito breeding.

The conservatories are like energy efficient cooling system which applies sustainable engineering technology. A customized glass fitted on the conservatories allows sufficient sunlight for plants yet reduces a considerable amount of heat. Through thermal stratification, hot air is then emitted at high level. By dehumidifying the air using liquid desiccant before cooling, the amount of energy required in the cooling process is lessened. With Combined Heat Power steam turbine, the reliance on the electrical grid reduces. Electricity to run the chillers in the Conservatories are generated on site while waste heat is utilized to reconstruct the liquid desiccant.

Supertrees contributes to environment sustainability efforts by having photovoltaic cells on their canopies to harvest solar energy and some serve as air exhaust repository.

While the park’s efforts in conserving energy have shown to be of significant improvement, it still requires a collective effort in ensuring a positive environmental change. Henceforth, I believe there is a need for other existing sectors to actively contribute to this global endeavor.

As enumerated, transportation hubs like Changi Airport have also adopted distinct measures to support energy conservation, water and waste management. Despite its overnight operations, the airport has spearheaded local environmental sustainability efforts by using cutting-edge technologies to save resources. While we are all fully aware of how the hub operates through the night as well, minor services may have been compromised in order to support this act. Creating awareness is certainly of no issue now as the airport’s altruistic actions involves utilizing unique roofs that relies on natural sunlight to illuminates the hub instead of peripheral lightings that requires energy. The site - Changiairport.com also highlighted how travellators and escalators have been operating lesser during off-peak hours. With double-glazed glass windows and solar shading devices, it helps control the brightness within the hub while managing the temperature throughout it. Additionally, the hub has notified that it will use eco-friendly light tubes instead.

Apart from energy conservation, saving water is also one of the airport’s primary focus in contributing to environmental sustainability. The site mentioned how the hub utilises rainwater from precipitation for irrigation purposes, ultimately enhancing the airport’s aesthetic. Singapore’s NEWater technology was another adopted mean in saving water by substituting drinkable water with those that are recycled for non-potable purposes - flushing of toilets etcetera. These water are better controlled when automatic taps were installed to curb water wastage. According to site, the reduction of 66% from 6 litres per minute to 2 litres per minute has proven that the airport has indeed contributed significantly to local efforts.

With rising awareness but no active contributions, it will be tough to facilitate this effort of sustaining our environment. The national airport can only do this much by creating awareness and leading through its actions. Henceforth, in order for a more successful attempt, it requires a collective effort from everyone.

Principles of environmental sustainability efforts within Gardens By The Bay

Environmental sustainability is one of the principles behind the planning and design of Gardens by The Bay.

The Garden Lake system acts as a natural filtration system for water from the Gardens catchment. The system incorporates essential ecological processes and functions which help in providing aquatic habitats for biodiversity. The Garden Lake system consists of two main lakes called the Dragon Lake and the Kingfisher Lake. The system acts as a natural filtration system for water and provides aquatic habitats for biodiversity. The presence of aquatic plants and reed beds are reducing nitrogen levels and phosphorus which is critical in ensuring better water quality.  High variety of aquatic plants, good water circulation and aeration is the solution for potential problems.

The conservatories are an energy efficient cooling system which applies sustainable engineering technology. A specially selected glass is fitted on the conservatories to allow excellent light for plants and reduce a considerable amount of heat. To decrease the volume of air to be cooled, only the lower regions of the conservatories are cooled. By dehumidifying the air using liquid desiccant before cooling, the amount of energy required in the cooling process is lessened. Through the usage of Combined Heat Power (CHP) steam turbine, the reliance on the electrical grid reduces. Electricity to run the chillers in the Conservatories are generated on site and waste heat is utilize to reconstruct the liquid desiccant.

Supertrees also play a part in the environment sustainability efforts by having photovoltaic cells on their canopies to harvest solar energy, and some serve as air exhaust repository.

The importance of English to me

I was introduced to the idea of report and essay writing during my time in tertiary education and have gained knowledge in this aspect. Thus, expanding my language proficiency through these experiences. For instance, during my internship, I was required to submit daily reports to summarize the tasks assigned to me on that particular day. The usage of engineering jargons were frequently seen in our report submissions which aided in the communication amongst my fellow peers and lecturers. However, despite the fact that it assists the engineering students and lectures to further understand one another, it poses as a language barrier between the other students. For example, during gatherings, friends would often share their internship experiences with one another and will tend to use abbreviations that seems rather foreign to those who are in a different field.

Prior to this exposure, I have learned that having a good command of English helps to better convey your thoughts to the audiences. Furthermore, equipping yourself with a rich vocabulary allows one to captivate the audiences attentions. Besides that, using comprehensible words allows audiences from different trades to understand what you are trying to present.

Having a strong grasp of the English language aided in written communication between my lecturers and mentors. In addition to having a rich and vibrant vocabulary, word choices are equally important as it reflects on your personal professionalism, also while writing a reports, thesis, essays, dissertation or even presentation speech, the way in which you structure your sentences are just as crucial.
Therefore, English play a essential part in communicating.